SUN DEVIL TRACK AND FIELD Contact: Elias Williams | [email protected] | (816) 830-5335 2018 SUN DEVIL SCHEDULE Pac-12+/Big Ten Challenge Date Meet Location Tempe, Ariz. | Sun Angel Stadium 3/16 Baldy Castillo Invitational Sun Angel Stadium 3/22 PVCC Distance in the Dark Paradise Valley, Ariz. March 23-24, 2018 | 1 p.m./1:30 p.m. PT 3/23 Pac-12+/Big Ten Challenge Sun Angel Stadium Live Results: Finished Results 3/30 Stanford Invitational Palo Alto, Calif. 4/5 Jim Click Multis Tucson, Ariz. Live Stream: N/A 4/6 Sun Angel Classic Sun Angel Stadium 4/13 Triton Invitational San Diego, Calif. 4/19 Mt. SAC Relays Torrance, Calif. 4/19 Bryan Clay Invitational Azusa, Calif. Best of the East and West collide in Tempe 4/20 Beach Classic Long Beach, Calif. 4/28 Duel in the Desert Tucson, Ariz. 5/5 Oxy Invitational Pasadena, Calif. TEMPE, Ariz. – This weekend, Sun Angel Track in Tempe will host eight 5/5 Pac-12 Multis Championships Palo Alto, Calif. ranked teams from across the country in the Pac-12+/Big Ten Challenge that 5/12 Pac-12 Championships Palo Alto, Calif. will also feature one of the top SEC programs for the first time in meet history. 5/19 Tucson Elite Tucson, Calif. 5/24 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Sacramento, Calif. “For us, this format was the brainchild of coach Rasmussen and was totally 6/6 NCAA Championships Eugene, Ore. just a Pac-12 vs. Big Ten challenge that was just a neat to have the two conferences square off and it has really been quite successful,” coach Greg Kraft said. “We really try to showcase all-around Power Five conference 2018 ASU QUICK FACTS schools and give our kids and the public the opportunity to see programs they Location ................................................... Tempe, Ariz. don’t normally see like a Penn State or a Michigan, and this year, an LSU.” Enrollment ....................................................... 91,322 Nickname / Mascot ..................... Sun Devils / Sparky The Sun Devil women are one of those ranked teams as they come into the Colors ................................................. Maroon & Gold meet ranked 14th. They’re the second-highest ranked women’s squad in Conference ...................................................... Pac-12 University President ....................... Dr. Michael Crow attendance and for good reason with senior Maggie Ewen expected to open Athletics Director ................................. Ray Anderson her season in the hammer throw Friday afternoon. Ewen is the defending NCAA champion in the hammer throw and the collegiate record-holder in the Team Information event. Dir. of Track & Field ............... Greg Kraft (22nd year) Alma Mater ............................... Cal Poly SLO, 1978 Assistant Coach – Sprints ...........................Devin West “This type of ranking for our team lends itself to more events,” Kraft said. “I Alma Mater ................................ Kennesaw St., 2010 think adding the outdoor events, 400-hurdles, discus, javelin and others, it Assistant Coach – Throws ......................Brian Blutreich makes us more formidable. But I think it really reflects the performances of Alma Mater .............................................UCLA, 1990 Assistant Coach – Distance........... Jeremy Rasmussen Maggie Ewen because it’s based on where your athletes stand in their events.” Alma Mater .................................Arizona State, 2003 Assistant Coach – Pole Vault ...................... Ron Barela The highest ranked women’s team in attendance, and highest ranked team Alma Mater .................................Arizona State, 1979 overall in Tempe this weekend, will be in that “+” category. No. 7 LSU comes Assistant Sprints Coach ..........................Javonie Small in fresh off an indoor championships appearance two weeks ago where they Alma Mater .................................... Morehouse, 2005 Assistant Distance Coach............................ Cory Leslie finished just off the podium by three points in sixth-place. Alma Mater ..................................... Ohio State, 2012 “We had a last-minute scratch on the Pac-12 side, so LSU is kind of coming in XC/TF Office Phone ........................... (480) 965-0016 there to fill in for us,” Kraft said. XC/TF Office Fax ................................ (480) 965-8149 Media Relations Information The Big Ten will be represented by Indiana, a top-10 men’s team and No. 16 Contact ................................................. Elias Williams women’s team from Nebraska, 24/18 Michigan and 16/NR Penn State. Email ............................................... [email protected] Phone .................................................. (816) 830-5335 Along with NR/14 host ASU, the Pac-12 fields both Cal squads, and NR/15 ...................................................... (480) 965-5408 Fax Colorado along with honorary Pac-12 member for the weekend, LSU. 2017 SEASON REVIEW The Pac-12+/Big Ten Challenge gets underway Friday at 1 p.m. with the women’s hammer throw. The men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase will close out 2017 Women’s Championship Performances the first day at 7 p.m. Pac-12 Conference ...................... 3rd ............. 75 pts MPSF Championships .................. 6th ............ 45 pts NCAA Out. Championships ............10th .............. 21 pts Saturday gets started at 1:30 p.m, and will run until the conclusion of the NCAA In. Championships ...........27th ................. 8pts 4x400-meter relays, scheduled to begin at 8:27 p.m. A full schedule of events, ticket information and a live results link is available online. 2017 Men’s Championship Performances Pac-12 Conference ....................... 4th ......... 80.5 pts MPSF Championships ................... 5th ............ 53 pts NCAA Out. Championships ............74th .................. 1 pt NCAA In. Championships ............N/A .................. N/A Sun devil Track and Field/ @Sundeviltfxc Cross Country Thesundevils.com 1 SUN DEVIL TRACK AND FIELD NOTES DIRECTOR OF TRACK AND FIELD Rankings Update GREG KRAFT The first USTFCCCA polls of the season was released this week and the women’s version featured the Sun Devils in the top-15. One of the longest-tenured coaches at Two weeks after finishing 13th as a team at the NCAA Indoor Track Arizona State, director of track and field Greg Kraft is one of the premier names in and Field Championships, Arizona State debuted at No. 14 in the preseason the NCAA. Having led teams to 12 top-four finishes at outdoor poll with a boost from defending hammer throw champion Maggie NCAA Championships, three conference crowns and four NCAA team titles, Kraft is Ewen and newcomer Alethia Marrero. also one of the more decorated coaches in ASU history. Ewen gives the Devils points for her marks last season in the hammer Individual athletes under Kraft have also thrived as he has seen 33 Sun Devil NCAA throw, discus throw and shot put, While Marrero brings points from her titles since 1996. 800-meter and 400-meter hurdles times from last season when she was at Indiana State. KRAFT TEAM FINISHES AT ASU In the conference, ASU is the fourth-highest ranked team behind No. 2 NCAA Out Pac-12/10 MPSF/Indoor NCAA In Oregon, No. 4 Southern Cal and No. 10 Stanford. Year M W M W M W M W 1997 DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC The Pac-12 is tied with the SEC with five teams in the top-15. 1998 38th dns 9th 7th -- -- DNC 55th 1999 18th dns 5th 8th -- -- 11th 32nd Colorado checks in at No. 15. 2000 17th 38th 3rd 5th -- -- 10th 23rd 2001 15th 14th 4th 5th -- -- dns 25th 2002 68th 22nd 4th 4th -- -- 51st 16th 2003 dns 29th 5th 3rd -- -- 45th 42nd Sprinters on Double-Duty 2004 10th 20th 3rd 4th -- -- 12th 27th 2005 17th dns 3rd 3rd -- -- 13th 43rd At last weekend’s Baldy Castillo Invitational, sprints coach Devin 2006 29th 4th 6th 1st 6th 2nd 60th 3rd 2007 22nd 1st 2nd 1st 5th 1st 25th 1st West’s women’s group showed its depth and range as four of his top athletes 2008 6th 2nd 2nd 1st 4th 1st 1st 1st 2009 8th 3rd 6th 3rd 5th 3rd 5th 5th ran in three different events at different distances. 2010 4th 46th 4th 3rd 4th 4th 7th dns 2011 25th 19th 3rd 3rd 5th 4th dns 40th Perhaps the most dynamic performance of the trio’s came from 2012 16th 24th 2nd 5th 1st 4th 4th 43rd 2013 28th 10th 4th 3rd 1st 2nd 16th 7th graduate transfer Alethia Marrero who tripled in the open 400, 4x100 and 2014 13th 22nd 4th 3rd 2nd 2nd 26th 29th 2015 51st 20th 5th 4th 3rd 3rd 31st 21st 4x400-meter relays. Although a common grouping, for Marrero – an 800-meter 2016 36th 46th 4th 9th 5th 8th dns dns 2017 74th 10th 8th 6th 5th 6th dns 27th All-American, the outing displayed the newcomer’s extensive range in the 2018 N/A N/A N/A N/A 11th 8th dns 13th sprints. NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONS UNDER KRAFT Shaunie Morrison won the 100-meter hurdles, then competed in the Jacquelyn Johnson ...................................................Heptathlon x4 Victoria Jackson ...............................................................10,000m open 200 and 4x100-meter relay for the Sun Devils, while Sha’Maya Flanagan Jessica Pressley .......................................................... Shot Put x2 April Kubishta ............................................................Pole Vault x2 matched Marrero’s triple. Sarah Stevens ..................................................................... Discus Anna Jelmini ........................................................................ Discus Kalei Matthews had the busiest day of any athlete, though. the JUCO Chelsea Cassulo ..................................................